Press release from the Sierra Club and Citizens Campaign for the Environment

Thu, Sep 27th 2012 05:00 pm

Assessment
shows New York could power the state with efficiency and clean energy, safely
retire dirty energy sources

New York State Sen. George Maziarz plans
to hold a public hearing to examine issues around New York's long-term energy
needs. The New York Independent System Operator has released a new reliability
needs assessment showing that New York can safely and reliably meet future
energy needs with energy efficiency and clean energy even with the retirement
of the state's remaining coal plants and the closure of the Indian Point nuclear
plant.

The new report shows that achieving
New York's goal to increase energy efficiency to 15 percent by 2015 by itself
would be sufficient to meet New York's projected resource needs for the next
decade.

According to the NYISO there will be
enough electric capacity in New York to retire 3,000 megawatts of generation -
more than every single coal plant in the state - without causing a "resource
adequacy violation" in upstate New York for at least the next 10 years. These
projections demonstrate the state's energy security even before consideration
of new proposed wind and solar energy projects that would add additional
electric capacity and reliability to New York's energy infrastructure.

In a
response, on behalf of Citizens Campaign for the Environment and Sierra Club,
Mark Kresowik, deputy regional campaign director for the Sierra Club, made the
following statement:

"We appreciate Senator Maziarz's
efforts to bring attention to the most recent reliability assessment by the New
York electric grid operator. This assessment emphasizes the need to invest in
energy efficiency and help New York communities and workers transition to clean
energy as the retirement of inefficient and dirty coal plants progresses.

"While the report does indicate that
retiring the Indian Point nuclear plant by 2015 would create some challenges
downstate, previous studies by Synapse Energy Economics and Charles River
Associates show they could be resolved by meeting the '15 by 15' energy
efficiency goal, transmission upgrades, and investing in clean energy such as
wind and solar power throughout the state. Right now, the Long Island Power
Authority has the opportunity to choose enough offshore wind to meet their
customer's needs as projected by the report through 2021.

"Together we are calling on Governor
Cuomo to help New Yorkers breathe easier, save money and power our homes and
businesses safely by meeting New York's energy efficiency goals, directing the
Long Island Power Authority to choose offshore wind, and providing financial
assistance to the communities and workers who are leading the transition to
clean energy."